Page 23 of Corrupt Idol

“Thanks for doing this. Keep an eye on her,” Dad said.

“Of course.”

She stalked away from them and headed to the check-in kiosk. She tapped the screen before she realized she didn’t have the itinerary details. As she stood there, a big hand reached past her and began to type. She grit her teeth and stepped aside as Jesse claimed their tickets and surrendered her duffel and his backpack. When he headed toward TSA, she trailed behind, hoping he would get impatient and go on without her. He didn’t. He waited patiently and stayed by her side. As soon as she got through security, she made a beeline for the nearest coffee shop. Just as she finished her order, Jesse added his own drink and two breakfast sandwiches as well. She glared at him until he handed over his credit card. She didn’t thank him as she went to the end of the counter to wait for the coffee that would make her feel better.

As she stared intently at the barista’s, Jesse shuffled her to the side so some guy could grab his coffee.

“He was behind us,” she grouched.

“He ordered black coffee,” Jesse explained.

She glanced up to find him smiling at her. She scowled. “What’s so funny?”

“You are.” He brushed her hair back. “You’re still not a morning person.”

She shoved away from him and stumbled into a table. As she apologized to the startled couple, Jesse swept her under his arm and drew her against him.

“You need someone to keep you out of trouble.”

She elbowed his hard abs. “Youaretrouble. I’ve been fine on my own!”

“Debatable, baby.”

“Don’t call me—”

“Iced caramel coffee for Violet!” the barista called.

She broke off to fetch her drink. She stabbed her straw in and took a sip. Everything else faded away. She was about to skip out of the shop when Jesse grabbed her arm.

“We stay together,” he said.

“I’m not a kid,” she mumbled around her straw.

“Sometimes you act like one.”

“Speak for yourself,” she retorted, but it wasn’t said with enough heat since she was too deep in her drink. She closed her eyes as coffee raced through her veins and awakened her senses. She was deaf and dumb until she got her morning joe.

Once Jesse collected his drink and food, he led the way to their gate. They sat with less than thirty minutes till boarding time. She chose a seat five down from him and gave him a disgruntled look when he got up and took the seat beside her. Seriously. He was beyond annoying. She did what she did best and ignored him as she savored her coffee and people watched. There were quite a few interesting characters to examine. A woman in head to toe designer labels strutted past. Despite the fact that it was summertime, she wore a coat, scarves, and a hat. She must be heading to Antarctica. A few people wearing pajamas and looking as tired as she felt ambled by. A group of hippies wearing androgynous clothing floated past with contented smiles.

Austin hosted an eclectic mix of people who were committed to the city slogan:Keep Austin Weird. Austin was the Music Capital of the World and home to many creatives and techies. Austin was a beautiful city situated on a river basin surrounded by rocky hill country. The vibe in Austin was laidback and open with an undercurrent of Southern hospitality, tradition, and old school values.

A group of girls passed, laughing loudly enough to capture her attention. Their eyes were on Jesse. She glanced at him and inwardly snorted. He was too busy eating to notice these high schoolers eyeing him as if he was on a menu. His strong, classic features made women stupid. Yeah, he was good-looking, but his heart was fucking black. If people only knew… Her mind conjured up an image of Marissa doing everything in her power to get his attention yesterday. Jesse dated his fair share of girls during school, but he didn’t date anyone during his senior year.

She didn’t want to talk to him, but curiosity got the better of her. “Does Marissa come around every time you come home?”

When he turned to her, she realized he was too damn close. She scooted as far as her seat would allow, which wasn’t more than an inch. Stupid, small, uncomfortable airport seats.

“Marissa and I are friends. You know that,” he said.

“She doesn’t see you that way.”

He gave her an odd look. “Are you jealous?”

She blinked. “Jealous?”

“Why are you asking about her?”

“I think you two would make a great couple.” She paused and then added, “And if you got some, you’d leave me the hell alone.”

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